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Arkansas Butterflies On Display At Mount Magazine Festival

Arkansas Butterflies On Display At Mount Magazine Festival

PHOTO COURTESY OF PARIS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE The Diana Fritillary is the state butterfly for Arkansas. This species and other butterflies will be discussed and seen during the 18th annual Mount Magazine International Butterfly Festival, which will be Friday and Saturday at the North Logan County Fairgrounds on Arkansas 22 in Paris.

Arkansas Butterflies On Display At Mount Magazine Festival

Girl examining butterfly with magnifying glass at park

Arkansas Butterflies On Display At Mount Magazine Festival

High angle view of a Monarch butterfly pollinating a flower (Danaus plexippus)

Dozens of kinds of butterflies and thousands of people are expected to be seen this weekend in Paris.

The 18th annual Mount Magazine International Butterfly Festival will draw butterfly fans of all ages from the region and neighboring states from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the North Logan County Fairgrounds on Arkansas 22 in Paris, said Martha Parsons, a board member of the Paris Area Chamber of Commerce.

The free event will include a live butterfly observatory, an art show, a photo contest, a dog show and contest, live music, a pageant, food, a petting zoo, pony rides, arts and crafts, military displays, helicopter rides and more, she said.

“Everything is wonderful about the annual Mount Magazine International Butterfly Festival,” Parsons said. “We have people come from everywhere to enjoy the festival here.”

The festival’s live butterfly observatory will offer a “walk-in-and-see experience” for young children, teenagers and adults, she said. Those attending will see some of Arkansas’ 127 resident butterfly species; more than 90 of those species often are seen at nearby Mount Magazine.

“We will also have the beauty pageant on Friday, with live entertainment being provided throughout each day,” Parsons said. “There’s going to be a lot of fun.”

A $100 prize will be among the incentives for people thinking about entering the festival’s photo contest, she said. Gift certificates from Bedford Camera & Video also will be part of the contest, Parsons said.

Entry forms for photo contest, art show, pageant and dog show and contest are available at www.parisaronline.com.

“The helicopter rides will be $35, and the dog show/contest will have 12 different entry levels — levels such as ‘A Face Only a Mother Could Love’ and ‘Waggiest Tail,’” Parsons said. “The Army National Guard will have machinery out, and there will be a firetruck where kids can climb on it and ring the bell. They’ll have fun.”

Last year’s festival attracted 3,500 people; this year, organizers are hoping more people attend, she said.

“We’re hoping for really good weather this weekend, so everybody can come out to this event,” Parsons said. “There will be lots of great things to enjoy at the Butterfly Festival this year.”